“The Graveyard Shift” is a one act, student directed play by Caroline Lamoureux (‘20). The plot of the play was the story of two best friends who worked the first night shift at a gas station. Weird experiences plague the girls all night long in a entertaining and comedic way.

Julianne Bland (‘21) says, “I felt the production was a success. We had a great crowd, and everyone did their part. As part of crew I think we were able to bring the script and story to life as well. I enjoyed working with everyone, especially Caroline. She was very easy to work with and made this experience wonderful.”

“So You Think You Can Dance,” was directed by Dayzha Cartwright (‘19) and Angie Prince (‘21). The two girls have been very involved in dance since the time they were young and are both active members of the Academy dance team, Jaguarettes. Their past experience in dance has only increased their passion when directing “So You Think You Can Dance?”

“‘So You Think You Can Dance?” was originally directed by former Academy Alumni Samantha Garritex (‘18), who was a former Jaguarettes dancer. This is the second year of the performance, which was created to allow Academy dancers who are normally unable to perform on stage an opportunity to showcase their unique and special talents through solos or duets.”

Throughout our lives, school plays a major role in the development of our mindsets as people. However, despite the immense amount of time we as a society dedicate to education, there still seems to be an inherent stigma associated with learning: students dread attending school, television shows unjustly portray school negatively, and students seek to find the easy way out for each assignment. With these things in mind, it is apparent that as a whole, society influences students of all ages to view education as a nuisance rather than as something that is beneficial.

Stella Mele (’21) said, “A lot of the media focuses on negative things about schools and teachers. It never focuses on anything positive like the achievements of students and teachers. Shows never demonstrate what’s actually going on at schools, so I don’t think they’re accurate.”

Typically, when the media portrays school environments, it depicts an institution riddled with stereotypes and adversity. In this media-dominated world, students look to these influences in order to develop their own personal perspectives and beliefs. Consequently, when something, such as a school, plays a major role in a young person’s life and is portrayed negatively, their overall outlook on that concept changes.

Specifically, television shows and various movies illustrate high school as four years dedicated more to social events than education itself. Those shows that do occur within the walls of a school setting all follow the same stereotypical pattern: the protagonist fears their school bully, cannot see eye to eye with a certain teacher, and pursues the attention of their crush. While this might be the experience of some high school students, it is inaccurate to paint this generalization as universal. In the midst of all this, not to mention, there is very little focus on the true importance of taking your education seriously.

This portrayal of schooling is apparent within the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” which follows main character Ferris Bueller, his best friend, and his girlfriend as they decide to skip school. Throughout the show, Bueller speaks directly to the audience, giving them advice on how they too can get away with skipping school, feeding into society’s preconceived ideas about education.

To add to the effects of these negative stereotypes, the media depicts those who desire to learn as “nerds” or “geeks,” discouraging children from wanting to be openly curious about concepts covered in school. Students are also branded this way when they excel in school, creating an unending cycle of negativity.

Madison Chandler (’19) said, “I think that the media portrays school to be more about the drama than actually learning. The characters in television shows focus more on their looks and other things because school is generally deemed ‘uncool,’ so if you like school, you’re automatically branded as a ‘nerd.'”

When students are exposed to this picture of school repeatedly, they begin to accept it as reality, and as a result, knowledge is no longer seen as an incentive for school attendance. Although it is okay to want to experience some part of this image, as a whole, it is not entirely practical. School provides a foundation that contributes immensely to the development of a person, allowing students to acquire information while promoting confidence, socialization, and teamwork. However, if students adopt a pessimistic view of school, their education will not benefit them.

Furthermore, the characterization of teachers by various television personas is detrimental to a student’s perspective of school. Teachers are often seen as antagonists in the media, and consequently, students see school authority figures as against them rather than for them, discouraging students from making the most of their schooling.

English teacher Virginia Pendleton said, “I think that the media’s negative portrayal of teachers can lend itself to perpetuating stereotypes amongst students. Fortunately, I think most students have been blessed to have at least one good teacher, hopefully many, and subsequently realize that the stereotypes portrayed are just that: stereotypes. I don’t think negative stereotypes are indicative of my profession alone, but I think the stereotypes do harm my profession as a whole and demonstrate the lack of value placed on education in general—at least at the non-collegiate level. I think we need to ask ourselves why educators are so undervalued and portrayed negatively. Is there a correlation?”

On the internet, for example, YouTuber Jake Paul’s song “My Teachers” conveyed this hurtful message to his 17 million subscribers. The song expressed Paul’s feelings that the subjects covered in school by teachers are useless. Through the release of his song, Paul discredits not only the importance of education, but also the hard-work and dedication of teachers everywhere.

Maria Galvez (’21) said, “It wasn’t fair of Jake Paul to release the song because it could negatively influence the kids who watch him. However, it is his perspective on his own schooling, so he was allowed to release it.”

i was gonna say i cant believe jake paul tried to diss teachers by saying they never taught him how to get a DM back or buy a lambo cash but i can. i can believe it.

Overall, as a society, we need to learn how to promote education rather than diminish its importance. We must recognize that the school environment depicted through the media lacks accuracy and can have negative effects on the mindsets of students. The work of educators everywhere is vital to the success of their students, as well as their futures. On that note, society as a whole should encourage learning instead of promoting it only as something negative.

Need a refresher on current events that affect our nation? Refresh President Donald Trump’s twitter page. Need a new shirt? Amazon Prime has your back. Are they still together? Check both of their Instagram accounts.

Increased accessibility due to the rise in technology translates into less effort needed, which does not necessarily mean anything negative. However, teenagers and adults of the digital age are inevitably plagued by the feeling that they are entitled-whether it to be to know everything that is going on in an instant or to having what they want upon their demand.

Frankly, this quality of millennials, the age group born between 1981 and 1996, has become quite apparent to those who have come before them, thus rightfully earning them a name for their cohort: the Burnout generation. Degrading? Possibly. Absolutely absurd? Probably not.

The gap in ages prompts the question: how did children who grew up with the Internet get grouped together with those who did not access it until they were teenagers? The seeminly wide generational demographic group of millennials have experienced several major cultural and technological shifts that they’ve been old enough to recall and understand, such as the rise of cell phones, the Internet boom, the arisen concerns over security post-September 11th, and The Great Recession.

Due to the technology boom and the start of the digital age that they first-handedly experienced as they were still maturing, millennials have more likely of a tendency to be clouded by their judgment that they must stay on top of everything as the world around them changes rapidly. Therefore, the access to social media has provoked millennials to devlop behaviors from every extreme, including “emotional underachievers” but “overachievers” elsewhere, such as in their careers.

“I see it more applicable in the parenting styles of my friends because they feel as if everything they do for their kid has to be perfect… they use Pinterest, for example, to plan the best birthday party for their kids… which is noticeable from my other friends who are older,” says AP BC Calculus teacher Megan Dubee of her generation’s newest label, “I’ ve even seen this style contribute to learning because you are overworking yourself to overachieve all of the time.”

So this is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but with a bunch of millennials who don’t know how to mail things. https://t.co/VzY1GROtpq

My generation, Generation Z, is ambitious, as proven by our efforts to organize national events such as March for Our Lives due to our fascination with our own role model, Malala Yousafzai, and our mastery of using various social media platforms. We grow up with the Aerie Real beauty campaign and legal same-sex marriage, knowing that one authentic voice has the power to ignite a spark. However, this does lead to members of my cohort to develop intense fears of missing out and feelings that they are not living up to the standard the rest of our generation is held to.

“Social media stresses me out, so I will not even go on Snapchat anymore to limit comparisons I make with everyone else,” says Katia Huddleston (‘22).

A great disparity of the mentality of both peer groups is how they view the value of their work and how that contributes to the value of themselves. Generation Z grows up with the belief that all work should be stemming from genuine passion, and they are more apt to believe that they can achieve these wishes for the future. An astonishing 72% of Gen Z high school students aspire to be self-starters after college in corporate America by taking on roles as entrepreneurs rather than traditional employers.

(Photo Credit: Isabella Thorpe/Achona Online/Piktochart)According to Vision Critical, Gen Z’s most used device is smartphones, and they watch significantly less TV than any other living generational groups.

Our teachers and mentors exist in the burnout generation, so what does this mean for my emerging group? Although only time can tell, our generation is living in a team where bold voices and self-sufficiency is embraced; therefore, could our generation be the pivotal generation?

“I wrote a poem about this the other day,” Junior Lauren Jones says when asked about being raised as a by perfectionists and becoming one herself. In the poem, she writes, “New has become synonymous with fail, but we as a generation choose to defy that standard.”

On Sunday, January 6, 2019, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hosted the 76th Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood actors from both television and film were nominated for the prestigious award. Hosted by Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, the night was filled with laughter and powerful speeches from people like Regina King.

Throughout the night, awards including Best Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture were given out. “Bohemian Rhapsody” won many awards and took the coveted Best Motion Picture – Drama award. While many were happy with this, there were also people who felt that it did not deserve this award. “A Star Is Born” is one of the movies that people believed should have won.

Anabela Ebsworth-Llavona (‘19) says, “I found ‘A Star Is Born’ very emotional. The audience was able to truly understand the characters and their stories through the incredible music and visuals. I believe it should have won.”

“A Star Is Born,” starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, received great reviews upon its release in the theatres. However out of seven nominations, the film only won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. This was upsetting to many fans.

The success of certain movies at the Golden Globes upset some people because it does not reflect their own personal opinions. “Black Panther,” which brought the most revenue in the box office this year, did not win any of the awards it was nominated for. The film “Green Book” won mutliple awards, despite the fact that many viewers had never heard of it. This causes many to believe that these associations should ask for the public’s input in choosing winners.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Victoria Huerta (‘21) says, “I think it would be a good idea to have the Hollywood Foreign Press Association consider the opinions of the public. Even if they do not choose only on that, the public deserves to have their voice heard in a matter like this.”

It is well known that the Golden Globes can sometimes predict the Oscars, which will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019. This event has similar categories, and many are interested to see if the award show will have different results.

Gabby Boyd (‘19) says, “I hope ‘A Star Is Born’ will win more awards at the Oscars. It deserves more recognition. I believe that different films and actors will win at the Oscars this year.”

]]>https://www.achonaonline.com/entertainment/2019/01/11/academy-students-express-their-opinions-on-the-golden-globes/feed/0“The Graveyard Shift” an AHN student-produced play to be performed this weekendhttps://www.achonaonline.com/academy/2019/01/11/the-graveyard-shift-an-ahn-student-produced-play-to-be-performed-this-weekend/
https://www.achonaonline.com/academy/2019/01/11/the-graveyard-shift-an-ahn-student-produced-play-to-be-performed-this-weekend/#respondFri, 11 Jan 2019 17:36:45 +0000https://www.achonaonline.com/?p=63511

(Photo Credit: Chloe Boos/Achona Online)Lamoureux produced this play, which is being performed this Saturday, Jan. 12.

“There are two girls who work the overnight shift at a gas station and they just have to get through the night. It’s a comedy and it is super funny,” said lighting director Mei Lamison (’20).

Chanita Belcher (‘19) said, “The actors in the play have been rehearsing since late November, early December. It’s always better to get the actors on first, then crew. The crew just started rehearsing with the actors this month.”

“I’m actually very excited and happy. I’m so excited to see it all come together as a whole. I know everyone who’s in it is anxious and just ready for everyone to come and see if they like it. I’m really excited to see it and I’m super proud of Lammy.”

Madison Troy (’19) is a part of “The Graveyard Shift” cast. Troy has been rehearsing since later November.

“I’m actually two different characters (I’m an extra so I just back up people), but I play Malcolm from “Jurassic Park” and a girl named Emily, who is a Vlogger/prank YouTuber,” said Troy.

This is Lamoureux’s first time directing a play and she’s, “loved every minute of it.”

She says, “This is definitely something I want to continue doing. The cast and crew are the lifeblood of the show and nothing would be accomplished if it wasn’t for them. This play is incredibly special to me, and I can’t wait to show it to other people.”

Escape rooms are one of the latest trends and a challenging, yet exhilarating way for friends to spend time together. Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik, writers of the “Escape Room,” used these entertaining puzzle rooms as inspiration for their newest thriller mystery, The “Escape Room” which was released on January 4, 2019.

Lauren Harris (‘19) says, “I am so excited to see it. I heard that it was one of the best movies out right now and love horror and thriller films so I have high expectations.”

Zoey, Ben, Jason, Amanda, Mike, and Gabe are six strangers who were mailed a little black box. The box is a mini puzzle and once they open it an invitation to the escape room appears. It says the first person to escape the room is awarded a million dollars.

The six strangers arrive into what appears as a waiting room until one tries to open the door and walk out. The knob falls off and the players realize they are in the first room.

Each of the following rooms have a specific detail relating to one of the stranger’s pasts. The only way to escape one room is by finding and using clues to get out.

In the hospital themed room, it was clever how each bed revealed why each person was selected to participate in this competition. It then becomes clear each of the players were selected because they were all involved in an accident that left them as the lone survivor.

**Possible spoiler zone**

I found it highly intriguing when Zoey faked her death in order to trick the creators of the escape room. The only way to win the game is by being the sole survivor.

When all of the players are supposedly dead and Ben is only remaining, he asks to claim his reward. The game maker then tries to kill him. Zoey reappears and hits the maker over the head. That scene provided the most suspense and personally, it was the most entertaining and thrilling part of the whole movie.

**End of spoiler zone**

The movie has sparked debates as to whether or not it is worth all the hype.

Grace Lahart (‘21) says, “It is hands down one of my top five movies I’ve ever seen. I had fun watching it and I think it did a really nice job of keeping me on the edge of my seat.”

oh my god I just saw the new escape room movie and it was literally one of the best movies I’ve EVER watched 10/10 would recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Others do not believe the movie was well put together and think there are parts that could have been done better.

Nina Perez (‘19) says, “I expected a lot better. It was easy for me to guess what was going to happen next. I’m disappointed because the trailer made it look amazing, but personally it is far from it.”

The “Escape Room” received a 5.2 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes. It is categorized as a fail for not incorporating parts that set the movie over the top and not reaching its full potential.

On December 4, 2018, Kevin Hart announced that he would be hosting the 2019 Oscars, an event which he has been asked to host many times before, yet supposedly turned down continuously with the assertion that he was waiting for the right time. However, due to many controversies surrounding the comedian which began to arise around the same time, a social media frenzy subsequently ensued in a plight to remove the star as host.

Hart’s current rise in subject popularity can be attributed to multiple controversial tweets, along with comments made elsewhere, which were buried in his Twitter feed from many years ago. All of these comments consisted of incredibly homophobic rhetoric, which many people have found to be upsetting and outrageous.

Due to this outrage, and the accompanying pressure towards the Academy to replace Hart with another celebrity, the Academy compromised to demand that Hart apologize for his comments or suffer the retraction of their offer. However, Hart came out with an ill-advised statement via Instagram refusing to apologize.

Following the post, Hart elected to personally step down from the position, issuing a statement via Twitter along with the apology which he had previously refused to give.

I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.

The entire situation obviously stirred up much outrage amongst people on the internet. Not only was the controversy rooted in the comments themselves and their subject matter, but also in the circumstances of the host position and the questions surrounding it. It proved to raise the question of whether or not comments made in the past should affect opportunities of the future, and whether one should be obligated to apologize.

“He said what he honestly thought and gave his honest opinion. However, I think that when someone is being chosen for such a significant event you should definitely look into who they are and the mistakes they’ve made in the past. It’s a big deal because you’re giving this person a platform so you want to make sure it’s someone worthy of that platform,” said Dayzha Cartwright (‘19).

Though many believe the comments were unjustifiable and were thus deserving of reprimand, some are under the impression that if something was said many years ago and has been addressed before, it should not be of such detriment to the person’s future activities.

“I don’t approve of the comments that Kevin Hart made because they were very offensive and vulgar, however I do think they could have been made in poor taste at an ignorant point in his life. I think there is a chance he could have grown from that person he was and deserved to be heard out before being condemned,” says Tiffany Arnao (‘19).

On January 4, 2019, Hart made an appearance on the Ellen Show in which Ellen Degeneres herself personally defended Hart’s actions, even going as far as revealing that she personally contacted the Academy in a plea to help Hart.

“They’re gonna win if you don’t host the Oscars. You can’t let them destroy you and they can’t destroy you because you have too much talent,” said Degeneres.

After the airing of this episode, Degeneres received much backlash for her comments. Many believe that Hart should not be absolved of his actions simply because of her comments, arguing that, though Degeneres is a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, she does not speak for the entire community and does not have the right to be the arbiter of right and wrong in the situation.

I also believe in forgiveness. But I also believe that forgiveness requires an actual apology. Not “I’m sorry people are so sensitive.” Just “I am sorry.” All he had to do. And he indignantly refused because he felt his moment was being tainted. That he was the aggrieved.

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“I think that Ellen’s opinion is valid because she is a member of the LGBT community, however I also think that it’s valid for people to still be upset because she obviously can’t speak for everyone. I do think that Kevin Hart’s apology should be taken into consideration and maybe not excuse his actions but make them more understandable,” says Tress Jacobs (’20).

No matter the position taken on the issue, the situation certainly brought about a very pertinent discussion about past comments made on the internet and whether or not they hold any significance in the futures of those responsible. This is a social question which becomes more and more relevant in the age of social media.

“I think it’s important to watch what you post, especially if you’re a public figure because those things can come to bite you in the future. You want to be a good influence because everything you say can have an impact when you have such an easily accessible platform,” said Isabella Piboolnuruk (‘20).

Unplugged was performed on Thursday, January 10th 2019. The show is an open microphone to all Academy singers who wish to perform. The show started at seven and showcased fourteen different singers. These performers were able to select and practice their own song for the show.

Robin Zander (’19) says, “Unplugged is a vocal event that gives girls who may not have the opportunity to showcase their talents to perform. The loose theme is music throughout the decades. We have fourteen performers including myself and Allie Golson.”

In 2018, social media challenges became a very popular thing on the internet. The most popular challenges of the year included the Tide Pod challenge. The Tide Pod challenge became one of the most dangerous, due to the fact that Tide Pods come with extreme health risks. They are laundry detergent and strictly used for that only, but someone decided to take a video of them eating it, and it grew from there. Tide had to issue and warning and the poison control came out saying that they had received thousands of calls during that time.

The Kylie Jenner lip challenge was also a popular one last year. This was inspired by Kylie Jenner’s new lips, which she got from getting lip injections. People would suction cup their lips until they noticed them swelling. Some of the results that many people had, were bruising all around the mouth, bleeding, swelling, and ripped lips.

“I think challenges can be pretty stupid and dangerous. It promotes kids to do dangerous things because it seems fun and challenging. I do not think that they are a good idea. My brother did the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, and he was fine, but his lips looked gross for a while. He regretted doing it,” says Dominique Deer (‘19).

Another popular one, was the In My Feelings challenge. This came from Drake’s song “In My Feelings.” People would get out of the car, while it was still moving, and do the dance to this song. Many people injured themselves badly, because it is very dangerous to start walking out of a moving car, especially if it is moving fast.

“I think social media leads to more peer pressure, and with videos getting so popular, people are more likely to try something themselves,” says Samantha Cuttle (‘22).

2019 already has a new social media challenge, called the “Bird Box” challenge, which was inspired from the new Netflix movie, “Bird Box”. People are blind-folding themselves while doing everyday activities, while videotaping it, which is leading them to injury themselves. Youtuber Jake Paul added more attention to this, by blind-folding himself, and walking in the middle of Los Angeles traffic and put it on his Youtube channel, which is viewed by many young kids.

“I think any type of social media challenge should be to spread positivity and awareness to things that need attention. An example of this was the Ice Bucket challenge,” says Deja Vega (‘19).

The Ice Bucket challenge was one of the few challenges that made a positive influence, and raised millions for people living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). People dumped a bucket of ice onto their head, and then nominated other people to do the same. They would then donate to the cause after. Many celebrities including Bill Gates and Taylor Swift joined in, which is what helped the challenge to become viral.